Hydraulically sealed valve stem



Sept. 4, 1962 H. G. FREEMAN 3,052,474

HYDRAULICALLY SEALED VALVE STEM Filed May 19, 1959 1 /Od I L zaga.

United States Patent O 3,052,474 HYDRAULICALLY S ALED VALVE STEM Howard G. Freeman, Worcester, Mass., assigner to Jamesbury Corp., Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 19, 1959, Ser. No. 814,231 1 Claim. (Cl. 277-70) This invention relates to valves of the type controlled by a rotatable stem, and more particularly to means for sealing the stem to prevent leakage through the valve bonnet.

According to conventional practice a-n O-ring or other packing is placed around the stern, between the stem and valve bonnet, to seal ,fthe stern to the bonnet. The ring or packing must tit the stern tightly in order to create a fluid-tight joint, and the resulting friction makes the stem hard to turn. For eXtreme high pressure or high vacuum conditions it is ditlicult to make the seal tight enough. Furthermore, wear on the ring or packing eventually results in leakage and the bonnet must then be taken apart and repacked.

The general object of this invention is to provide a seal construction which is more effective than the conventional types, lwhich `does not make the stem unduly hard to turn, and which `will re-main fluid-tight for a Ilong time under hard usage.

The seal is achieved by confining liquid under pressure between the stern and the bonnet. The stern has a circumferential groove which forms with the inner Wall of the bonnet a chamber for the fluid. A bore in the stem communicates with the groove through ports. Part of the bore is lled Iwith uid and the fluid is placed under pressure by a spring-pressed plunger mounted in the bore. Other advantages and novel features of the seal construction will be apparent from the detailed description which follows:

In the drawings illustrating the invention:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section, taken along the axial direction of the stem, of a valve bonnet equipped with a seal constructed according to the invention, the stem being shown in elevation; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-section in the same direction through the bonnet and stem.

The valve casing has a tubular extension l10a forming a bonnet through which the stern 11 passes. The lower end of the stern is engaged with the ball or closure member of the valve in any usual manner and a handle 12 is mounted on the upper end. The stem has a ange 13 with a V-shaped circumferential groove 14. The ilange is received in a counter bore 15 in extension 10a and seated on a packing ring 16 mounted in the bore, and another packing ring 17 is mounted above the ange. This assembly is secured to the body by a plate 18 bearing on a compression ring 19, and bolted or screwed to the body in any suitable way.

The stem has a bore 20 extending from the top down 3,052,474 Patented Sept. 4 1962 ICC past the flange. Four ports 21 in the flange lead from bore 20 to ,groove 14. A plunger 22 is slidably mounted in the bore and sealed to the wall of the bore by an O- ring 23. A coil spring 24 bears on plunger 22 and is backed up by a set screw 25 threaded into the upper part of the bore. The upper end of the bore is closed by a cap screw 26 lwhich also secures the handle. The bore 20 below the piston for-ms a chamber communicating With groove 14 through ports '21. The chamber and groove are filled with iluid, such as oil. Pressure is applied to the fluid by the spring-pressed plunger 22 and the pressure can be varied by adjusting the position of set screw 25.

The packing rings 16 and 17 serve in part as a stem seal and also to seal the chamber formed between groove 14 and the inner wall of the bonnet. As these rings wear they can be kept tight by tightening bonnet plate 18. The uid is under higher than atmopheric pressure. Therefore, air 'will not tend to leak in from the outside when the valve is used in a high vacuum system. When the valve is used in a high pressure system, the pressure differential between the sealing fluid and the valve interior is less than it would be in a conventional construction where one side of the seal is exposed to atmospheric pressure. The tendency toward leakage past ring 16 is thus reduced, and the uid in the groove adds to the sealing eifect provided by the packing rings without increasing friction between the stern and bonnet. i

What is claimed is:

A bonnet seal, for a valve having a rotatable stem with .an outer end, comprising a bonnet having a recess with an interior Wall surrounding and spaced from said stern, said stem having a flange engaging said wall and a circumferential groove in said ange forming with said wall an enclosed chamber, said flange having inner and outer faces, a pair of packing rings dispose-d in said recess, one against said inner face and the other against said outer face and engaging said wall, means for securing and compressing said rings, said stem having a bore opening at said outer end and a fluid passage lconnecting said bore and said groove, a plunger slidably mounted in said bore between said flange and said outer end, liquid material lling said 'groove and said bore to said plunger, and a spring mounted in said bore and pressing on said plunger, thereby applying pressure to said liquid.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 354,936 Rohn Dec. 28, 1886 779,480 Johnston Jan. 10, 19015 1,078,953 Prellwitz Nov. 18, 1913 1,214,607 Stephens Feb. 6, 1917 2,187,733 De Juhasz Jan. 23, 1940 2,731,282 McManus et al Ian. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,804 -Italy June 5, 1957 

